Articulated conveyer train



June 17, 1958 H. J. HARBULAK 2,839,010

ARTICULATED CONVEYER TRAIN Filed June 23, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS United States Patent ARTICULATED CONVEYER TRAIN Application June 23,1955, Serial No. 517,570

9 Claims. (Cl. 105-4) This invention relates to conveyer trains particularly to conveyer trains built up of a plurality of drop bottom cars which can be loaded and unloaded while in transit. As mines are developed the length of haulage necessarily increases with increased cost of production. In certain instances, conveyer belts have been installed but these are not readily shiftable in the rooms of the mine and in case of a breakage of any part the entire operation is closed down. Ordinary mine cars cannot be loaded from a chute or room belt since the lading falls between the cars and soon renders the track unusable. It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide a train of articulated cars joined together so as to conform a conveyer train which can be loaded or unloaded in transit.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a conveyer train operating as a unit independent of other similar units.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an articulated conveyer train having a lading deflecting hood spanning the space between cars and freely movable relative to the cars during longitudinal, lateral or relative turning movements.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a floating hood freely carried by the adjacent ends of adjacent cars and filling the gap therebetween to form with the car bottom continuous lading surfaces. These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a part of a conveyer train.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of two cars with portions broken away to better disclose the construction.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of two cars.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the hood and control with portions broken away.

As shown in Fig. l, the conveyer train will be made up of any desired number of car units A. Each car unit is formed with side walls 2, upwardly and outwardly sloping end walls 4 and a plurality of drop bottom doors 6. The cars are supported by bolsters 8 resting on cantilever plates 10 extending outwardly from the bolster and adapted to rest upon a truck bolster 12. The cars are coupled together by resilient couplings 14 and center pin 16. The truck T is resiliently mounted on wheels W adapted to run on rails R. The car and its truck and support are fully disclosed in applicants co-pending application Serial No. 491,906, filed March 3, 1955.

The upwardly and outwardly sloping end walls 4 have their free edges 20 spaced apart when the cars are coupled, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. In order to prevent lading from falling between the spaced edges, an inverted V-shaped hood 22 is provided, resting upon and slidable along the inclined end walls 4. This inclined hood will we I rise and fall as the cars move away or toward each other under control of the resilient couplings 14. Also, the hood will rise and fall, as well as tilt, when the cars round a curve. The hood will rise on the outside of the curve and fall on the inner side of the curve due to the separation or approach of the edges20 during relative turning of the cars. The hood movements are guided by means of straps 24 welded or otherwise secured beneath the hood and' extending downwardly through guides 26 welded or otherwise secured to a control bar 28. This control bar is centrally pierced to receive a clevis 30 to which is anchored the lower end of a tension spring 32, the upper end of which is fastened beneath the hood. Control bar 28 extends outwardly toward the sides of the cars and carries on its ends pivot pins 34. These pivotpins extend through and join the rolled edges of hinge plates 36. These hinge plates are made of flat metal and have their edges remote from the pivot inserted into pockets formed by welding or otherwise securing plates 40 to the inner surfaces of the side walls 2. There is no other connection between the hinge plates and the car sides or between the hood and end walls. In other words no part of the hood structure is attached to the car but, is merely supported on and guided by the car parts, the weight being carried by the sloping end walls 4 and the movements controlled by the hinge plates 36 sliding in the pockets formed by plates 40.

It is believed that the operation is obvious from the preceding description and it will also be obvious that slight modifications and rearrangements may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An articulated conveyer train for transporting lading comprising a plurality of cars connected together for pivotal movement relative to each other, drop bottom doors for releasing lading from the cars, end walls sloping upwardly from the doors for directing lading toward the doors, the upper edges of adjacent end walls being spaced apart above the connection between the cars, and a hood plate resting upon and slidably supported by the sloping end walls and spanning the space between the adjacent end walls, said hood plate, end walls and drop bottom doors forming continuous lading supporting surfaces.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that a supporting truck is positioned beneath each hood to support the adjacent ends of the cars.

3. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that means is provided to positively hold said hood in slidable engagement with the sloping end walls.

4. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that said hood is of inverted V-cross-section centered between the carsby its slidable support on the upwardly sloping end walls and is held on the end walls by means beneath the hood and carried by the cars.

5. An articulated conveyer train for transporting lading comprising a plurality of cars connected together for pivotal movement relative to each other, each car having side Walls, end walls, and a floor for retaining lading, a hood plate resting on the adjacent end walls of adjacent cars, a control bar extending transversely of the cars adjacent the connection between cars, pivot means carried by the ends of said bar, and hinge plates pivotally mounted on said pivot means and slidably engaging the side walls to close the gap therebetween.

6. An articulated conveyer train for transporting lading comprising a plurality of cars connected together for pivotal movement relative to each other, each car having side walls, end walls, and a floor for retaining lading, said side walls and end walls of adjacent cars being spaced apart, means closing the space between the end No sa dnmeanssql sin l le sta portlennf th cspeqe between the side walls of adjacent cars whereby continuous lading retaining surfaces are formed in the train.

7. The structurepf claim; 6- characterized -in tthat the r means .c losing at least-a portionpf the gspace between the .;s ide .zwalls-, of adjacent-cars. comprises hinge plates pivoted togetherand slidably mounted .in pocketsformed,

9- Theh ueturenof .claimhfi further. xchar.actcrized,in i.

that the means closing at least a portion of the space between the side walls includes hinge plates slidably mounted on the adjacent side walls, and both means are resiliently interconnected to control the movements thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Taurman Oct. 20, 1914 Jones Apr. 11, 1933 

